Telltale control switch



Sept. 14, 1948. FREDRICK 2,449,213

TELLTALE CONTROL SWITCH Filed lay 25, 1944 32 32 LINE i l E 5 I 33 T 26 36 35 um: FAT

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56 Pg Maxie lit/M 0 fled/7% Patented Sept. 14, 1948 TELLTALE CONTROL SWITCH Raymond Richard Fredrick. Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Bastian Blessing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 25, 1944, Serial No..537,269

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in control switches.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved switch construction, in which a telltale light of any desired wattage or size can be employed to indicate the condition of a circuit controlled by the switch through the same panel hole in which the switch is mounted without need for varying the size of the mounting hole.

The invention is further characterized by a transparent or translucent control shaft by which light may be transmitted from one side of a panel to the other to indicate the character of the control established by the shaft in a power circuit for prime movers or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch construction in which the source of light controlled by the switch in conjunction with a prime mover is transmitted to the other side of the panel with its direction of emission controlled to dispose it at any predetermined angle.

A further object of th invention is to provide a switch control for a power circuit which is simple in construction, easy to build, operate and repair.

These being among the objects of the invention, further objects will become apparent from the drawing, the description relating thereto and the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawing in further detail:

Fig. l is a vertical section taken in the plane of the axis of rotation of a switch illustrating one form of the invention as mounted upon a control panel or mounting board.

Fig. 2 is a section taken upon the line 2--2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a section taken upon the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatical representation of a circuit in which the embodiment of the invention can be connected when it is desirable to have the telltale light on at the same time that the prime mover is running.

Fig. 6 is a dlagrammatical representation of a circuit in which the invention is connected into a control circuit in a way that the telltale light is on when the prime mover is oil.

With further improvements being made for the quiet running of prime movers such as electrical motors, it is sometimes very difllcult to determine, even when listening attentivelWwhether 7 Claims. (Cl. 200-167) 2 or not a motor is running. This is particularly true where moving parts driven by the motor cannot be seen or it is undesirable as in refrigeration to break the seal of a freezing compartment to determine the point.

Although the present invention is not confined to any particular arrangement, it has particular use with household appliances where users are generally not skilled mechanically and reference is hereby made to the copending application of Alexander F. McMahon for a food processing and preserving apparatus, Serial No. 529,626, filed April 5, 1944, the present invention being used therein to control the fan by which air is citculated in the freezing compartment.

A panel board 10, such as that which would be found on such a food processing apparatus, is provided with an opening ll thereto, at a suitable place, and a bushing I2 is mounted therein with a flange l3 thereon drawn tightly against the outer face of the panel board by means of a nut and washer assembly l4 threaded upon the opposite or inner end of the bushing. The opening l5 through the bushing serves as a journal in which the cylindrical portion I6 01 a piece of Lucite rod 11 is mounted for rotation. The outer end of the rod H has a knob 18 mounted thereon, held in place by a set screw 20 and terminates in a rounded face 2! which is impregnated with red or any other suitable color to difi'use the light rays and direct them therefrom in one general direction.

The inner end of the rod I'I receives a collar 22 thereon held in place by a locknut 23 to hold the shaft against axial movement in the opening I5. The collar 22 has an outrigger 24 thereon which actuates the handle 25 of a suitable two-position snap action switch !26.

Upon the inner face of the panel board It) a bracket 21 is held in place by the nut and washer assembly l4 and upon this bracket the switch 26 is mounted so that the out-rigger 24 and the handle 25 of the switch 26 cooperate, the handle 25 being moved from one to the other of its alternative positions by rotating the knob I 8, as more particularly shown in Fig. 2, and the handle 25 being long enough to prevent the outrigger arms from moving any farther than necessary to throw the switch in either direction.

Upon the switch 26 an insulating grommet 28 is mounted to carry a bracket 30 that supports a a light socket 3| and light 32 where the filament 33 of the light is disposed at approximately the axis of the cylindrical portion ii of the rod IT. The inner face 34 of the rod H is polished and the rays of light directed thereagainst from the filament 33, are transmitted through the shaft to the face 2| where they are diffused as already described. As shown in Fig. 1 current is supplied to a prime mover 35 through an electrical circuit 26 in which the motor and the switch 28 are connected in series and the light 22 and motor 35 are connected in parallel (see Fig. so that the light 32 is energized concurrently with the motor 35.

Referring to Fig. 3, the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown with like numbers referring to like parts. In this embodiment the bracket 21 has mounted thereon an insulating block 40 as held in place by screws or rivets 4|. The outrigger in this instance is a wedge-like member 42 made preferably of copper to bridge the gap between two spring contacts 43 mounted upon the block 40. Rotation of the knob l8 moves the outrigger 42 in and out of bridging contact between the contacts 4!, and suitable means (not shown) may be employed to limit the movement of the knob when the outrigger 42 relinquishes contact with the contacts 42 whereas shoulders 44 upon the outrigger engage the tops of the contacts 43 to limit the movement of the knob after engagement is established.

Furthermore, in this particular embodiment, the light 32 is mounted in a horizontal position as slipped into place downwardly between two spring clamps 45 into engagement against a third spring clamp 46 with the center button 41 on the lamp engaging a spring contact 48. The spring clamps 45 and 46 are cut and upset from a bracket 50 secured upon the block 40 as an integral part of one of the contacts 43 whereas the spring contact 48 is mounted upon an insulating grommet 5| held in place by a rivet 52.

The circuit in which the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 is connected to control the operation of the motor 35 is similar to that describing connection with Fig. 1 and Fig. 5. However, the circuit in either of these embodiments can be varied as shown in Fig. 6, in which the motor 35 is connected in series with both the switch 28 and the light 32, and the light 32 and switch 2-6 connected in parallel with each other. With this arrangement the light 32 is shunted when the switch is closed but when the switch is open the light 32 having the greater resistance, is energized by the current bleeding through the motor 35 without energizing the motor.

The relative location of the knob l8 and the outrigger 24 or outrigger 42 in the several embodiments is so determined by the set screw 23 that the light difiused or projected from the face 2| of the rod I! is so diffused that the greatest concentration, of light is directed towards the eye level of the operator or user when the light is on. Thus when the control is located below the level of the eye the diffusing face 2| is directed upwardly, while on the other hand if the control is located above the level of the eye the diffusing face 2| may be directed downwardly. Otherwise the diffusing face 2| can be located to shine in the eyes of the operator when the operator is approaching the control from a given direction, thus making it possible with a minimum amount of wattage in the light 32 to have a bright telltale light which informs the operator or user as to the operation of the circuit. Furthermore, the bend thus provided in the rod [1 makes it possible to locate the knob properly in place readily because of the predisposed relationship which has to exist between the inner face of the knob and the outer face of the flange l3, and the journaling action between the bushing and the cylindrical portion of the rod. Furthermore, although Lucite has been found to be a desirable material for the construction of the rod l1, other transparent materials having dielectric properties can be used when shaped similar to that shown for the shaft II. The curve serves as a reflecting and retracting surface to assist in directing the rays in a desired direction, which rays otherwise are introduced axially into the shaft at its inner end.

Having thus described the invention it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the objects stated and other further advantages and results are accomplished by the embodiments illustrated, and it will be appreciated that suitable markings on the panel board can be provided and an insulating bushing used if the collar and outrigger 42 are made of metal, or if desired, a housing can be provided of suitable shape for the switch parts. Furthermore, various and further modifications can be made including reversing the closing direction of the switch throw, to accommodate certain installation conditions in event particular adaptations of the invention are desired for special purposes.

Consequently, although several forms of the invention have been disclosed and described herein, it will be readily apparent that various and further changes can be made without departure from this invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telltale switch the combination of a transparent shaft, means for mounting the shaft upon a panel board, an apertured knob secured over the exposed end of the shaft, a collar received upon the other end of the shaft to hold the shaft against axial displacement, switch means controlled by rotation of the shaft, and a source of light disposed at the inner end of the shaft on the axis of rotation of said shaft said source of light being controlled by said switch.

2. In a. telltale switch the combination of a transparent shaft curved at its outer end, means for mounting the shaft upon a. panel board, an apertured knob secured on the curved end of the shaft, means upon the other end of. the shaft to hold the shaft against axial displacement, switch means controlled by rotation of the shaft, and a source of light disposed proximate the inner end of the shaft.

3. In a telltale switch the combination of a transparent shaft, means for mountin the shaft upon a panel board, means on the exposed end of the shaft for rotating the shaft, means upon the shaft to hold the shaft against axial displacement, switch means controlled by rotation of the shaft, and a source of light disposed at the inner end of the shaft on the axis of rotation of said shaft, the rays of light from said source passing through the panel by way of the shaft and being visible at the exposed end of the shaft.

4. A switch construction including a transparent shaft element made of an insulating material, means for mounting the shaft in journalled relation upon a support member, an electrical bridge element carried by the shaft, a pair of contacts proximate said shaft, means for rotating the shaft to carry the bridge element into and out of engagement with said contacts, and a source of light disposed on the axis of rotation and proximate the inner end of said shaft in circuit controlled relationship with said contacts for direct- 5 ing light from one end of the shaft to the other.

5. A switch construction including a transpar ent shaft made of a dielectric transparentmaterial, means for rotating the shaft, switchmeans controlled by rotation of the shaft, means for dii'ecting rays of light axially through the shaft controlled by said switch means, and means for discharging most of the rays from the shaft in a direction at an angle to the axis of the shaft.

6. A telltale switch comprising a light conducting shalt, means for rotatably supporting said shaft, a pair of electrical contacts, means carried by said shaft for closing said contacts, a source of light adapted to be illuminated when said contacts are closed, said source being disposed adjacent one end of said shaft, and a knob supported on the other end of said shaft, the end ofv said shaft passing through said knob, said shaft being the sole means of transmitting rotary motion from said knob for closing said contact means.

7. A telltale switch comprising a light conducting shaft, means for rotatably supporting said shaft, a pair of electrical contacts, means carried 6 by said shaft for closing said contacts, a source or light adapted to be illuminated when said contacts are opened, said source being disposed adjacent one end of said shaft, anda knob supported on the" other end of said shaft, the end of said shaft passing through said knob. said shaft being the sole; means of transmitting rotary motion from said knob for closing said contact means. a

RICHARD FREDR ICK.

ai-zrsnsncss crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 810,536 Holzer Jan. 23, 1906 2,227,422 floerstler Jan. '1, 1941 2,252,489 gluemle Aug. 12, 1941 2,285,374 lpohsmann June 2, 1942 2,805,185 Merkel Dec. 15, 1942 2,334,479 Creager Nov. 18, 1943 

